Belated NGD photos

[Ascension]

Have been playing with a Kiesel DC build for months and on Thanksgiving day a guitar that I had been watching on Reverb had a big price drop so--.
Snagged it 2016 Kiesel DC 600 swamp ash body and top pair of humbuckers floyd and almost exactly what I speced out except for the block inlays all the swamp ash and candy apple red metallic finish because of the cost ( added over $700 in options).
Grabed it at 1500 under the current build cost at Kiesel the guitar is flawless and was unplayed. HATED the nasty sounding stock Kiesel Lithium pickups that were in it but had a set of the Kiesel Alnico II Berrilium's that I really like to drop in her.
Here is a photo of the guitar grabbed it for a grand and then the screen shot from the Kiesel builder on the exact same build and the current new price. Shes a real killer just a little on the heavy side in comparison with my other DC's but really sounds good. This one is a keeper!

 

[Mincer]

Wow, very red! Sorta similar to my Brian Moore.

 

[Ascension]

Wow, very red! Sorta similar to my Brian Moore.

Photos don't do this one justice. Looks really cool in direct sun light as is a very dramatic high metallic Candy Apple Red.
They went to a 25.5 strat scale with the DC 600 in 2018 and discontinued the old traditional DC guitars last January so was glad to find this one. Would have had to pay a upcharge to get the 25 scale and it would also be non returnable no 10 day because of the option 50 scale change.This is spot on what I would have built though. Guy had it set up with huge strings and down tuned to D. I strung it with 9-42's set the thing up and since it's never moved in tuning have yet to even adjust the truss rod. These guitars never cease to amaze me on how stable they are and nothing else I have owned is even close in this. Example I pulled out my old late 90's Carvin DC 400 to play it out last week looked at the neck just to make sure it hadn't moved and after it setting in the case unplayed for a few months it was still dead in tune! Played a couple sets with it and after just a little tweak at the first never touched the thing in tuning all night.

 

[BloodRose]

Congrats Bro! Its a Beauty! Love Those 80s looking axes! Havent kept up with Carvin/Keisel lately. didnt know they were changing scale and all.. The Keisel quality still the same? Merry Christmas and hope you are well!

 

[dave74]

Awesome!

 

[Ascension]

Congrats Bro! Its a Beauty! Love Those 80s looking axes! Havent kept up with Carvin/Keisel lately. didnt know they were changing scale and all.. The Keisel quality still the same? Merry Christmas and hope you are well!

You can still get the 25 scale if you call at least for now. The exact same folk are building the Kiesels who were building the Carvins so quality is the same. Saying that my 2017 old style DC with the rounded sides is the most perfect guitar in attention to detail finish fret work ect I have ever seen. It's just stunning in real life.
I also prefer the old style DC look to the new one.
This is the 2017 it now has a Zebra Perpetual Burn in the bridge not the Black Hybrid though.
here is both the new one and the 2017.

 

[Bogner]

Good Grab brother!

 

[ErikH]

That’s a pretty one. I like the simplicity of it.

 

[Ascension]

HATED the Lithium stock kiesel pickups in the guitar. Had a single Beryllium bridge I had never installed but found a nice full set of the Kiesel Beryllium A2 more vintage sounding pickups with gold polls on Reverb so snagged them and dropped them in a few days ago. Man what a difference!! The Lithium set was just nasty really hot compressed thin harsh and bright, Would be ok for down tune and thrash metal but not for anything else i can think of.
REALLY like the Beryllium set though. Very smooth and sweet great for a solid brown sound have heat but not so much that they get overly compressed. Really surprised at just how good these sound in this guitar. Had been hearing good things about these and hearing some nice clips so wanted to give them a shot am very impressed by them.
The set I got had been direct mounted in another Kiesel so they dropped right in with no drama. Also had Gold polls which look surprisingly good in this Candy Red guitar. After the pickup swap I'm really liking this one a LOT! Very balanced guitar tone wise has a ton of sustain and really gives me a lot of very usable tones. think this one is a keeper!
Photo with the new pickups.

 

[Ascension]

That’s a pretty one. I like the simplicity of it.

Yep SO many Kiesels you see are way over the top with crazy woods and wild finishes. This one is straight forward and very simple. Fantastic playing and sounding guitar that is sleek and modern but yet also understated and classic. This is how I like my guitars I don't need an over the top exotic wood showpiece ( although this one does have some pretty expensive wood and finish options) just give me understated simplicity and high quality.

 

[dave74]

I'm a simple man too, and both my Carvins represent that to a tee.

I do like their fancy stuff when done very tastefully like this.

 

[Mincer]

Yep SO many Kiesels you see are way over the top with crazy woods and wild finishes. This one is straight forward and very simple. Fantastic playing and sounding guitar that is sleek and modern but yet also understated and classic. This is how I like my guitars I don't need an over the top exotic wood showpiece ( although this one does have some pretty expensive wood and finish options) just give me understated simplicity and high quality.

They insist on putting those crazy figured tops and stained fretboards in all their social media pics, and to me, some of it looks like I am looking at a disease under a microscope. People forget that they can do simple finishes, too (and do them really well).

 

[Ascension]

They insist on putting those crazy figured tops and stained fretboards in all their social media pics, and to me, some of it looks like I am looking at a disease under a microscope. People forget that they can do simple finishes, too (and do them really well).

Agree 100%. The whole vibe of the company has changed since Jeff took over. Quality is still there but now everything is pushed towards super high $ exotic wood builds. I play the guitars because I like them as tools and instruments not because of just the look.
My guitars are almost all very basic.

 

[dave74]

I've always wondered about those Carvin MTS tube amps. Are they jcm800ish at all?

 

[Ascension]

I'm a simple man too, and both my Carvins represent that to a tee.

I do like their fancy stuff when done very tastefully like this.

Agree and hope these qualify owned them all at some point.

 

[Ascension]

I've always wondered about those Carvin MTS tube amps. Are they jcm800ish at all?

More like a 5150 than a Marshall. My 91 Hot Rod Mod X 50 B now sounds very Marshall like. With the Hot Rod Mod out sounds much like a good JCM 800 and with it in sounds a lot like my old JCM 900 MK III Dual Master but with a killer clean channel. That early Hot Rod Mod series of the X amps were monsters. In fact this was used by Carvin as the official audio demo of those amps.

 

[BloodRose]

I'm a simple man too, and both my Carvins represent that to a tee.

I do like their fancy stuff when done very tastefully like this.

Thats gorgeous! I LOVE quilt and flame like that.. Especially black or purple

 

[BloodRose]

Ascension, being an 80s metal guy, I do prefer the older squared off body style than the round Ibanez satriani style

 

[Mincer]

I'm a simple man too, and both my Carvins represent that to a tee.

I do like their fancy stuff when done very tastefully like this.

While I like this guitar, it is about the same price range as a PRS, which seems to do this sort of thing a little better.

 

[dave74]

^ Except that with these you could choose Floyd or not, little frets/big frets, radius, neck carve, wiring, pickups ect,ect